| "Powdered Toast Man (episode)" | |
|---|---|
| The Ren & Stimpy Show episode | |
 | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 2 |
| Directed by | John Kricfalusi |
| Story by | John Kricfalusi Richard Pursel |
| Production code | RS5-1B |
| Original air date | August 15, 1992 |
| Guest appearance | |
| Frank Zappa as the Pope | |
Powdered Toast Man is the second episode of the second season of The Ren & Stimpy Show that originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on 15 August 1992.
In a parody of Superman, Powered Toast Man is a superhero who lives under the disguise of Pastor Toast Man. After receiving a message from his Catholic Schoolgirl Assistant that his help is needed, he shreds his disguise and goes to work. Invariably, his attempts to help caused more problems than what he solves. He saves a kitten from being run over by clashing an air plane into the oncoming bus; rescues the Pope who has been kidnapped by Muddy Mudskipper, helps Ren and Stimpy by making their powdered toast "taste right" and rips out the zipper of the fly of president of the United States with such force that the president has to be hospitalized. With the president in the hospital, Powered Toast Man takes over the duties of president and has a romantic dinner in the White House with his Catholic Schoolgirl Assistant. To keep warm, he casually tosses what he calls "dusty old papers" into the fireplace that are the U.S. constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence.
The showrunner, John Kricfalusi, had wanted to do a "special" episode that would feature the voice of Frank Zappa who was one of his heroes, which inspired him to write Powered Toast Man. [1] At the time, Zappa was dying of the prostate cancer that was to kill him in 1993, and the scenes featuring his voice were recorded at his home as Zappa was too ill to make it to the studio. [1] The character of Powdered Toast Man had first appeared in the mock TV ads in the first season of The Ren & Stimpy Show. [2] Kricfalusi had wanted to do more with the character in the second season. Unlike many of the other episodes of season two, Powered Toast Man was completed on time for its scheduled premiere in August 1992. [3] The episode was illustrated at the Rough Draft Korea studio in Seoul. [4]
Powered Toast Man generated a firestorm of controversy when it aired in 1992, being widely denounced for being "anti-American" owing to the scene where Powdered Toast Man burns the U.S. constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence. [5] The Nickelodeon network and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was flooded with complaints over the "anti-American" episode with one woman, Kay Claire, writing in to the FCC to say after that watching Powdered Toast Man: "I was so repulsed, I couldn't calm down. I was outraged when I saw that program. I want that cartoon pulled from the air because it has no social value whatsoever". [5] The burning scene attracted so much attention that the overtly sexualized appearance of the character known only as Catholic Schoolgirl Assistant; that it is clearly implied that Powered Toast Man is going to have sex with Catholic Schoolgirl Assistant after their romantic diner in the White House; and the scene where the Pope clings to the oversized buttocks of Powered Toast Man passed almost unnoticed. [6] In subsequent airings, the burning scene was censored while the rest of the episode went uncensored. [6]
The Irish journalist Padraig Cotter praised Powered Toast Man as the "ultimate parody of superheroes". [2] Cotter wrote: "Powdered Toast Man is a dark, but somewhat loving, parody of superheroes and comics. Despite being universally beloved within the show itself and having an ego to match, he's hilariously ill-suited to saving people. His lack of care often causes fatalities and in most cases, it would have been better if he wasn't around to save the day at all...The fact nobody within Ren And Stimpy appears to realise how awful he is becomes part of the gag". [2] The character of Powered Toast Man became so popular as a result of the episode that in 1993 he had a cross-over appearance in the Spider-Man comics where he faced Spider-Man. [2] In 1994, the character of Powdered Toast Man returned in the episode Powdered Toast Man vs. Waffle Woman , which was a pilot episode for a possible spin-off series featuring him. [7]
The Ren & Stimpy Show, commonly referred to as simply Ren & Stimpy, is an American comedy animated television series created by John Kricfalusi and developed by Kricfalusi, Bob Camp, Jim Smith and Lynne Naylor for Nickelodeon. Originally produced by Spümcø, the series aired on Nickelodeon from August 11, 1991, to December 16, 1995, with its last episode airing on MTV on October 20, 1996, spanning for a total of five seasons and 52 episodes. The series follows the misadventures of Ren Höek, an emotionally unstable and psychotic chihuahua dog; and Stimpy, a good-natured and dimwitted Manx cat. It is the third to be aired of the original three Nickelodeon animated series known as "Nicktoons", alongside Doug and Rugrats, and is considered to be one of the progenitor series of the brand.
Spümcø, Inc. was an American animation studio that was active from 1989 to 2005 and based in Los Angeles, California. The studio was best known for working on the first two seasons of The Ren & Stimpy Show for Nickelodeon and for various commercials. The studio won several awards, including an Annie Award for Best Animated Short Subject for the music video of the song "I Miss You" by Björk.
Stimpy's Fan Club is the 17th episode of the second season of The Ren & Stimpy Show that aired on the Nickelodeon network on 24 April 1993.
Robin Höek is the third episode of the first season of The Ren & Stimpy Show. It originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on August 25, 1991. This episode is the first in a short-lived series of episodes called Stimpy's Storybook Land, which parody children's literature.
"Stimpy's Cartoon Show" is the 7th episode of the third season of The Ren & Stimpy Show that originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on January 8, 1994.
"A Visit to Anthony" is the penultimate episode of the second season of The Ren & Stimpy Show that aired on the Nickelodeon network on May 8, 1993.
"Hard Times for Haggis" is the 13th episode of the third season of The Ren & Stimpy Show that originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on April 30, 1994.
Lynne Rae Naylor is a Canadian animator, artist, designer, director, and producer for television. She is best known for co-creating DreamWorks' The Mighty Ones, co-founding the animation studio Spümcø with John Kricfalusi, Bob Camp, and Jim Smith, and co-developing The Ren & Stimpy Show for Nickelodeon. She also worked on Batman: The Animated Series, The Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack, Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, My Life as a Teenage Robot, and Wander Over Yonder.
Big House Blues is a 1990 American animated comedy film produced by Spümcø. Originally screened at a film festival with a censored version later airing on Nickelodeon, it was succeeded by The Ren & Stimpy Show on the network, to which it serves as a pilot episode.
"Space Madness" is the fifth episode of the first season of The Ren & Stimpy Show. It originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on September 8, 1991. Along with Marooned and Black Hole, the episode is part of a loose trilogy in the first season known as the "space episodes" centering around the show-within-the-show, a parody of Star Trek-like science fiction shows titled The Adventures of Commander Höek and Cadet Stimpy.
Rubber Nipple Salesmen is the 5th episode of the second season of The Ren & Stimpy Show that originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on 29 August 1992.
The Boy Who Cried Rat! is the sixth episode of the first season of The Ren & Stimpy Show. It originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on September 8, 1991.
"The Littlest Giant" is the seventh episode of the first season of The Ren & Stimpy Show. It originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on September 15, 1991. A censored version of Big House Blues aired afterwards in place of another episode, being the pilot's first airing on the channel.
Mad Dog Höek is the 8th episode of the second season of The Ren & Stimpy Show that originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on 21 November 1992.
Dog Show is the 10th episode of the second season of The Ren & Stimpy Show that originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on 12 December 1992.
"Stimpy's Big Day!" is the first episode of the first season of The Ren & Stimpy Show. It originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on August 11, 1991.
The Big Shot! is the second episode of the first season of The Ren & Stimpy Show. It originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on August 11, 1991.
Powdered Toast Man vs. Waffle Woman is the 11th episode of the fourth season of The Ren & Stimpy Show that originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on 19 November 1994.
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